1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper ejecting device used in a printer, copying machine, facsimile apparatus or other recording apparatus, and more particularly to such a paper ejecting device which permits recording cut sheets ejected through an outlet of the recording apparatus, to be received on a tray with its printed surface facing in a selected one of upward and downward directions.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A known paper ejecting device generally includes (a) ejector means for ejecting a recording cut sheet through an outlet which is formed at one sheet feeding end of the recording apparatus, and (b) a tray disposed adjacent to the ejector means for receiving the recording cut sheet which has been ejected through the outlet. In most cases, the paper ejecting device is provided as a part of a recording apparatus such as a printer. During a printing operation of a printer, for example, the recording cut sheet on which an image has been formed is passed through the outlet of the printer by the ejector means, and then received on the tray.
The recording cut sheets may be ejected onto the tray with their printed surfaces facing up, or with their printed surfaces facing the sheet receiving surface of the tray. Conventionally, the paper ejecting device is provided with two paper outlets, and two parallel discharge paths corresponding to these two outlets, so that the recording sheets passed through one of the two outlets can be reversed by a suitable mechanism provided in the corresponding discharge path. Thus, the recording sheets can be ejected with their printing surfaces facing in the desired upward or downward direction, by providing a plurality of paper outlets, and selecting one of the corresponding discharge paths, depending upon whether the sheets should be reversed or not.
However, the known paper ejecting device is required to have a plurality of trays for receiving the recording sheets from the respective paper outlets, ejector means for feeding the sheets into the respective discharge paths, and switching means for directing the recorded sheets toward the selected one of the paper outlets. Thus, the known arrangement requires an increased number of components, which inevitably pushes up the cost of manufacture of the device. Further, the paper ejecting device of the above type is rather complicated in construction, and is therefore likely to suffer from a paper jam. Moreover, the device as a whole tends to be relatively large-sized, requiring an accordingly large installation space for the device.